Tres Leches Coconut Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Buttercream
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup lightly toasted flaked coconut (Mounds or Angel Flake brand)
- Dulce de Leche Buttercream:
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle brand)
- 2 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy on medium speed;
- add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating until all the yellow disappears.
- Add the vanilla.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
- Add alternately with the buttermilk to the creamed mixture beginning and ending with the flour.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Fold into cake batter.
- Fill standard paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to wire rack that has been placed over a baking sheet to cool.
- While cupcakes are still warm, stir together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and the coconut milk.
- Using a meat injector needle, inject each cupcake in several different spots with about 1/2 to 3/4-ounce of the mixture.
- Or, poke several holes in the top of each of the cupcakes with a 1/4-inch wooden skewer. P
- our the milk mixture over each cupcake while they are still warm, filling each hole.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight before icing.
- For the Buttercream:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- To make the dulce de leche, pour the sweetened condensed milk into a glass pie plate and cover with foil.
- Place in a larger roasting pan where pie plate can sit flat.
- Pour hot water into the roasting pan to a depth of about halfway up the pie plate.
- Place in oven and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- Stir until smooth.
- Place egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl.
- Stir the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a small, heavy saucepan.
- Whisk in the water first, then the dulce de leche and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly.
- Remove from heat.
- Gradually whisk the dulce de leche mixture into the 2 egg yolks.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Strain through a wire mesh strainer into a small bowl and set aside to cool completely.
- Beat the butter on high speed in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the cooled dulce de leche mixture.
- Beat in the 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth and spreadable.
- Frost each cupcake with a generous amount of dulce de leche buttercream.
- Refrigerate any remaining buttercream for another use. Sprinkle each cupcake with toasted coconut